caffeinated and clueless
A fragrant aroma of coffee wafted through the air when I first entered through these doors three hours ago, but my nose has since become blinded to it. A now empty cup of joe sits next to me, the residue at the bottom reminding me of times’ passage and the transference of things. The liquid I extracted has become a light energy in my system, fueling me through the process of creating this blog site…. this waypoint - a crossroad in the digital space that I hope will one day connect me to the people outside of it.
I always end up in these places that I so pleasantly refer to as the intersections of humanity. I find it fascinating that there seem to be just as many unique takes on a coffee house as there is drab iterations. The atmosphere in these places usually brims with a undercurrent of creativity and forward progression, like electrons jumping between valence shells, in a subtle yet meaningful manner. My gaze often darts from person to person, spotting the animated conversations between friends, and the soft, quick tapping of keys on a keyboard. The menu is dotted with imaginative concoctions containing the variations of this universally roasted bean, and in the ambiance of ambiguous conversations, music finds my eardrums. As the rhythm finds its way into the place, it blankets everyone in these places with something often unnoticed - a shared moment.
These moments move me. The stories circle around me, unknown in nature, yet tangible in feeling. I wonder, who are these people? Where will they be in a day, a month, a year, a decade? Is the moment in time that we are sharing a pivotal one? Are the conversations erupting around me catalysts for turning points in their stories trajectory? Will I run into any of these people again, or will they run into someone I know? Will we ripple somehow into the infrastructure of their existence?
How many of these silent tappers creating pitter patters on their keyboards stabbing in the dark for something to hold on to - how many are punching seconds into a clock they despise; how many are shaping hope with their fingertips and keystroking into a passion that is beginning its’ journey into being or solidifying its purpose? Am I one of them?
I’m in Overland Park, Kansas at a coffee shop called Summer Moon caught in the sweeping desire to write of my experiences on this gifted laptop and not waste the very limited time I have here in Kansas, with a 120.00 Rental car that I’ve only used once to drive one mile. My tongue stays silent with the truth of why I am here, while my hands stay restless in expressing this duality of thought of being both inspired by the life around me and disappointed by the unfulfilled desires that reside as daydreams instead of actualities. A Tinder match from my time here during tour brought me back here from my home state of New Jersey.
By all means, our conversations were incredible and diverse. Her smile shone to me through her pictures, and her little white doggo seemed like he would be an awesome little pup to meet. I, however, am notoriously horrible with time, and didn’t realize five days had elapsed between our messages. In that time, the interest fizzled - and even though I had stated that I had a booked flight out to Kansas City, the lack of communication led to her thinking that something had come up, and now instead of having a coffee date - I’ve only had a date with coffee. Granted, she was under the impression that I was coming here for work and that she was just a bonus in actuality - it was the opposite. I was coming here to meet her because I’m a damned hopeless romantic who throws his all into things he believes in, and work was a bonus.
Alas, there isn’t any work. There isn’t even any conventions. And, from my moment of departure in New Jersey up until about 12;30pm this afternoon - I have had quite the case of the Murphys.
For those of you not aware of Murphys Law - it is a law that states anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and my family and I have lived with it for quite possibly generations. (I’m not sure what voodoo has caused it, and which relative it started with). It started with a flight delay that was unannouced in Newark Airport, followed by a snowstorm in Chicago that delayed the flight even more when we needed to stop and get the wings of the plane de-iced. By the time I arrived at Kansas City airport at roughly 5;30pm, I was already 30 minutes late to pick up my rental car in Gladstone, and by the time I got in the Uber and arrived at the rental place, I was 2 minutes passed their closing time.
Thankfully, my Uber didn’t leave, but regrettably, I ended up paying 60 dollars in an Uber to my VRBO, 40 dollars more than I was expecting to pay and then spent the night trying to figure out a new rental, with a possible courtsey coffee date with the Tinder girl slated for the following day. When I arrived at 12:30p the next day at the rental place to pick up the rental car, however, they told me that there were no more cars. The process that ensued caused a delay in the coffee date, and eventually, the procurement of a rental car at a different agency about an hour too late for her schedule.
That night, I had half frozen sushi up the road from me, and drank two beers while watching Donnie Darko, falling asleep suddenly and unexpectedly somewhere in the beginning of it. I woke at 4am with obscure dreams clinging onto their fading memory. I moved myself into the bedroom, where I fell back asleep, and then I woke up in the morning with digestive problems, After those issues had passed, and conversations with Tinderella seemed to not be promising for a meet-up today, I jumped in the rented Ionic and ended up here, where now, I am slowly coming to the realization that I have not had an adequate amount of food or water in my system.
And while I know I should probably get on that, I also know that this blog post needs and ending, and truth be told, I’m clueless as to where that ending is. Perhaps it’s here.
